Jim Timmermann: The campaign speech you’ll never hear

Here’s a campaign speech you’ll never hear, because the candidate who made it would never be elected.

Jim Timmermann

Here’s a campaign speech you’ll never hear, because the candidate who made it would never be elected.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to talk today about what will happen if I’m elected and my national debt reduction plan is adopted. In time — maybe five years, maybe 10 — Americans will enjoy greater wealth and productivity, a more efficient and responsible government and freedom from foreign creditors.

“But in the short run, I promise you this: pain. A $12 trillion debt won’t disappear without serious sacrifice — sacrifice that you can feel. Even if you’ve never received a government check in your life, you’ll feel the collateral impact. Getting serious about the deficit means cutting almost every area of the federal government. Sure there’s waste in the federal budget — those lattes you buy are wasteful, too — but not a trillion dollars worth.

“This is no time to cast blame for our problems — both parities are to blame for our profligacy and we the voters were complicit. If we’re serious about restoring fiscal responsibility, we’ll have to cut until it hurts, and you, the American public, deserve to know that.

“We’ll be spending less on welfare and unemployment assistance, and that means an even thinner safety net. We’ll cut spending on education, and that will mean less money for your local schools. We’ll have to rein in Medicaid and Medicare, and that will mean lower reimbursements for doctors and hospitals. Some people may not get the treatment they want and we may no be able to cover your father’s nursing home bill. We’ll get rid of farm subsidies, and that will mean higher food prices.

“We’ll have fewer federal employees, and that will mean greater unemployment and reduced consumer spending in the short run. We’ll even have to cut the defense spending, because we can’t right the ship if a third of the budget is left untouched. The government will be buying fewer computers, desks and guns, shelling out less for construction work and sending less aid to your state and local governments. Kind of an anti-stimulus. That will pay off in the long run, but in the short run, it will slow any economic recovery. We have no choice — we’re too deep in the hole. I want to make sure you understand that.

“We can’t talk about fixing the federal budget without fixing Social Security. I don’t want Social Security to go away, and I don’t think you do either. Do we reduce benefits or raise taxes? Raise the retirement age or accept the risk of investing funds in the stock market? I think we need to do all of the above, but whatever we do, we can’t put it off. As an old football coach said, ‘the future is now.’

“Of course, we don’t HAVE to rely on spending cuts alone. If you the American people feel the cuts I’ve proposed are too deep and too painful, we can always raise taxes. But you’ve made it clear that you don’t even want to consider that. And that’s fine, as long as you know what the trade-offs are.

“Now some folks I know like to joke about our friends in Europe, calling them soccer-loving, wine-sipping wimps. Well guess what? It’s the folks across the pond who are showing courage now. Britain is making the deepest cuts in government spending since the 1930s. The Germans, the Spaniards, the Italians are all on an austerity diet. They’re rioting in the streets in France, but they’re sticking with the plan. Do we Americans have the same determination?

“I’m telling you this because we’ve gotten into this mess by deluding ourselves into thinking we could have it all — higher spending and lower taxes at the same time. We believed we could pile up more debt and delay the tough choices indefinitely. We can’t anymore. That’s why we have to accept some pain now for long-term gain.

“So are you with me, America? Are you ready to skip the happy talk and face reality?

“What? Wait, where are you going? Hey, folks, come back!”

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